466th Bomb Group

Group

Three little girls hold up a balloon celebrating the 100th mission of the 466th Bomb Group in front of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-95592) nicknamed "Black Cat". Handwritten caption on reverse: 'On our 100 Mission party Day - 18 Aug 1944, Attlebridge, 466th'. The three girls are from the nearby village of Hockering. Their names are Janet Townshend, Tessa and Gloria Grant.

Personnel of the 466th Bomb Group sit atop a B-24 Liberator to watch a pony trap race. Image stamped on reverse: 'New York Times Photo.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 20 August 1944.' [stamp] and '351493.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: '100TH MISSION ANNIVERSARY PARTY. LIBERATOR STATION HAS A "DO". Somewhere in England a great party was held for officers and men- girlfriends invited- of a Liberator Bomber station, on reaching the anniversary of the 100th mission over enemy territory. Under the watchful eye of Col Luther Fairbanks, the men had a great day, movie shows, ball games, and pony trotting with bookmakers- were some of the attractions. In the evening dancing was held in the hangars to the accompaniment of two famous dance bands, Glenn Miller's orchestra and Rudy Starita's all girl orchestra. New York Times Photo Shows: A Liberator makes a good grand stand as they watch the ponies being led to the starting point for the pony trotting race. Aug 1944.'

This aircraft is B-24 44-40328 'This Above All'.
• It was a 493rd Bomb Group, 863rd Bomb Squadron original aircraft transferred before 6 Jun 1944 (date of 493rd BG's first combat mission) to the 34th Bomb Group, 391st Bomb Squadron.
• It was flown on missions of the 34th Bomb Group from 6 June 1944 through 16 August 1944.
• It was later assigned to the 466th Bomb Group, 786th Bomb Squadron (squadron code U8, with radio call letter T), and was flown on missions from 25 October 1944 through 25 April 1945.
• It was then redeployed to the Zone of the Interior (United States). It was never assigned to 487th Bomb Group.
• The nose art was was signed "SGT DUANE BRYERS." Sgt Bryers painted the nose art on the aircraft at Sheppard Field, Texas, before the overseas deployment of the 493rd Bomb Group.
Sources:
1. Tom Brittan of B-24 BestWeb
2. Ivo de Jong, author of 'The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H)'

A crashed Liberator of the 466th Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on image: '466 BG 2nd Div 8th AF.' Image via Joh Bode.
Caption added by 466th BG Historian: B-24H-15-FO #42-52566 "Shack Date" Code: U8-P 466th BG - 786th BS. Shown at Attlebridge after being crash landed on 19 April 1944 by the Nick Furnace Crew (Crew #615). This was the regular aircraft of the Richard O. Foster Crew (Crew #606) but they weren't scheduled to fly this mission and the Furnace Crew had their a/c shot up the day before over the same target (Hamm).

The wreckage of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 44-40093) nicknamed "Lovely Ladies Avenger" of the 466th Bomb Group that has crashed in Malmo, Sweden. 21 June 1944. Image via E Olov Sundgren. Handwritten caption on reverse: '466th BG place unknown.'

The 466th Bomb Group flew B-24 Liberators from Attlebridge, Norfolk, during the last year of the war in Europe. The Group flew 232 missions in the course of the year and celebrated the 100th one by inviting local people onto the base to mark the occasion. The Group flew missions against strategic objectives like U-boat installations in Kiel, ball bearing works in Berlin, aircraft factories in Munich and oil refineries in Hamburg. Remarkably, the 785th Bomb Squadron flew 55 consecutive missions without loss.

Military | Colonel | Commander - 466th Bomb Group | 466th Bomb GroupRetired from the USAF as a Major General
http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/106386/major-general-elvin-s-ligon.aspx

Military | Colonel | Chief of Staff; Commanding Officer | 25th Bomb GroupCleveland was Chief of Staff of the 325th Wing and assumed command on July 4 1944.
Cleveland was C.O. of the 466th BG: 1 November 1944 - 16 February 1945

Missions

22 March 1944The German aviation industries at Oraneinburg and Basdorf were the intended primary target for this mission but dense cloud cover prevented the attack on these targets. The secondary target of Berlin, Germany and surrounding Targets of Opportunity (TOs...

23 March 1944The industrial areas of Brunswick, Munster, Osnabruck, and Achmer, Germany as well as the airfield at Handorf, Germany become the targets for a force of 768 heavy bombers despatched by all three Air Divisions. The bomber gunner claims on German...

24 March 1944This mission is composed of two elements, one from 1st Air Division and the other from 2nd Air Division. A total of 436 hevay bombers are despatched. The primary target for 1st Air Division is the the ball bearing plants at Schweifurt, Germany. 2nd Air...

27 March 1944This mission might be likened to a "shotgun blast" as a combined force 714 heavy bombers are despatched form all three Air Divisions to attack 11 different German airfields and air depots in France. Mission summary follows:
...

Aircraft

B-24 LiberatorAssigned to 785BS, 466BG, 8AF USAAF. Flew on 466BG's first mission. Failed to Return (FTR)mission to Epinal. A/C seen with one engine feathered and another smoking, radio message received that pilot was heading for Switzerland. Not seen again. 11 x KIA...

B-24 LiberatorAssigned to 785BS, 466BBG, 8AF USAAF. Hit by 20mm flak direct hit taking out the Oxygen, electrical and hydraulic systems and starting a large fire. Went into dive after leaving the target area of Brunswick 8-May-44. S/Sgt's Carlson and Cannon bailed...

B-24 LiberatorThis aircraft's last mission was on August 15, 1944, when it was flown by a makeshift crew led by pilot Robert W. Harrington from Attlebridge air base. The target was a Luftwaffe airfield in Vechta, near Bremen, Germany. The target was successfully...

B-24 LiberatorB-24 41-29350 was lost on 18 July 18 1944 over France. The aircraft took a direct hit by flak in the bomb bay while leaving the target, severing the control cables and forcing the pilots to attempt to ditch in the Channel off the coast of France. Four...

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / The Mighty Eighth. A History of the Units, Men and Machines of the US 8th Air Force.' by Roger A. Freeman (1989). 'Air Force Combat Units of World War II' compiled by the Department of the US Air Force, edited by Maurice Maurer (1983). / Units in the UK from ETOUSA Station List, as transcribed by Lt. Col. Philip Grinton (US Army, Retired) and extracted by IWM; air division data from L.D. Underwood, based on the 8th Air Force Strength Report of 6th August 1944, as published in 'The 8th Air Force Yearbook' by Lt. Col. John H Woolnough (1980)